[psweber]

I've been this person a few times, so I sympathize while seeing all the mistakes they made.

Some people have no problem with office politics. Some people don't notice or seem unaffected by it. I have a hero complex (or a sense of ethics if you want to be generous), and I can't be a full time employee anymore. Freelance work helps me keep boundaries in my work.

[jdance]

Well, our values and norms say that being an employee, that some 40 of our hours per week are owned by another person, is good and normal. Freedom has very little value it seems. I'm like you and I just love to be free. I do whatever I want to do! And I love it, I love my life. With the perspective of freedom, signing over 40 hours a week to some random guy seems like a totally completely ludicrous thought. I would literally rather live in a tent eating only noodles, but luckily everything seems to work out anyway :)

If you have this experience of "not being egocentric enough" a lot -- which I have had -- you might like to check out the developmental model called Spiral Dynamics, it put things into place for me.

[crimsonalucard]

I'm having this problem too. It's hard for me to stay silent. I tell my friends about the things I do or say and they tell me that I'm just giving away all my intentions and political moves.

I don't manipulate people and I'm told I'm extremely straightforward. I'm not a hero though but when politics affects me like it always inevitably does, I don't play the game, I'm emotionally unable to.

[goodcanadian]

Refusing to play politics is also a political strategy. It won't work in every situation. Sometimes, being blunt will work out very badly, but sometimes your candor will be respected and your opinion will be sought out because of it. Refusing to play the game can put you in a position above the fray.

You won't be promoted to management, but if that is not your goal, it may not matter.

[crimsonalucard]

This is true. I've been in this type of situation before but I always attributed to luck rather then a political strategy.

I'm thinking a combination of bluntness and deception is the best middle ground.

[ncmncm]

Be ready to move at all times, then.